Cigarette dispenser



1957 e. B. CHRISTOPHER CIGARETTE DISPENSER Filed April 21, 1955 R E H w T b. R H C B N N E L G IN V EN TOR.

' ATTORNEY United States Patent CIGARETTE DISPENSER Glenn B. Christopher, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application April 21, 1955, Serial No. 502,935

1 Claim. (Cl. 221-234 This invention relates to cigarette dispensers wherein provision is made for delivering the cigarettes one at a..time by operation of a delivery mechanism and is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial No. 284,569, filed April 26, 1952.

An important object of this invention is to provide a cigarette dispenser including a cigarette container wherein the cigarettes to be dispensed may be moved to the delivering mechanism without bending or wedging.

A further object of this invention is to provide eflicient means erecting .the dispensed cigarette vertically and supporting said cigarette in a vertical position whereby the same may be conveniently removed from the dispenser.

A further object of this invention is to provide means erecting the dispensed cigarette vertically *without previous lateral positioning motion to place the cigarette into an erecting mechanism.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dispenser of- .the'. described class whereby the delivering mechanism may be operated by convenient and natural movements of one hand.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein: a

Figure 1 is a'sectional side elevation of a; cigarette dispenser embodying the features of the present invention.

;Figu re 2' is' a"'fragmenta'ry' sectional side elevation of the delivering" mechanism of the cigarette dispenser'illustrating an aspect of its operation.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary partially sectional vertical elevation of the erecting mechanism indicating the positions of some of its obscured portions by means of dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the delivering and erecting mechanism indicating the positions of some of their obscured portions by means of dotted lines.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the conveying elements of the delivering mechanism illustrating the relative positions of the conveyor string and the conveyor string aperture.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a box-like base, the upper portion 11 of which is reactangular in shape to accommodate the cigarettes and is inclined downward from the rear of the base to the lower edge 12 of an aperture 13 and thence inclined forwardly and downwardly to its termination in the form of a downward projecting lip 14. A removable cover 15 is mounted on top of the upper portion of the box-like base 10 so that cigarettes 16 contained therein can fit only singly between the lower edge of its forward wall 17 and the downward projecting lip 14. By way of example, but not as a limitation, the box-like base and the removable cover may be made of transparent plastic such as polystyrene or vinylacetate. Mounted within the front of the box-like base 10 is a transverse delivery element 18 suspended pivotally between trunnions 19 inwardly projecting from the sides of the box-like base 10 into bearing ICC openings 20 provided in each end of said delivery ele-' ment 18. The delivery element 18 is provided with a cylindrical surface blocking the opening between the lower edge of the forward wall 12 and the downward projecting lip 14 when said delivery element is in its normal closed position. The bearing openings 20 are in axial alignment with each other and have their centers coincident with the radial center defined by the arcuate surface of the-semi-circular delivery element 18; the trunnions 19 journaledinto the bearing openings20 are aligned: in a 'normally horizontal axis perpendicular to the sides of the -box like base 10. 5A longitudinal'semi: circular-trough 21 is formed in the surface of 'the delivery element 18 for findividually [receiving the cigarettes as they emerge from, theopening between the lower edge of the forward wall 1'? of the removable cover'1 5 andj'the downward projection lip 1'4of"the box-like base 10, the length of the trough being less than the' length ofa cigarette. A longitudinal flange 22 projects radially at the termination of the cylindrical surface of the delivery element 18 from its side adjacent to the downward projecting lip 14; said flange projects far enough from the axis of the deliveryelement 18 to engage the downward projecting lip 14 and to prevent rotation of the delivery elementls past the point of such engagement.

Conveyor strings 23 are passed through holes, not numbered, in the longitudinal flange 22 and are secured thereto by knots 24 or other suitable means. The conveyor strings 23 are extended from the flange 22, over the downward extending lip 14, beneath the cigarettes 16 and the upper portion 11 of the box-like base 10, through-the aperture 13, and to a spring 25 where they are fastened at one end by a knot 26 or other'suitable means. The other end of the spring 25 is fastenedto the back of the box-like base 10 byan eye screw 27 or other s'uitable rneans Projecting from the delivery' element 18 on its side-opposite the flange 2 2 is a cam 28 A hook' like arrn-29 is pivotally journaled onto a trunnion 30 projeet'ing'inward from the front of the box like base 10 and-the-hook like' arm is held against the canr'28fby the tension" ofa spring -31" aifixed respectively, to said hook like arm and to*an 'eye screw 32 securedfto; the

front o'f the box"like-'base"10 at its locationi'above' the trunnion30.-' "The" ring' iil"attached to the 'hookj like arm 29 transmits a"tensile"force:of-lessermagnitude than that transmitted by the spring 25 attached to the conveyor string 23 whereby the trough 21 is maintained in its normal upright position. The end of the hook like arm 29 opposite its pivotal attachment is shaped upward, thence inward, thence downward in an arch aligned with but inverted with respect to the trough 21 within the semi-circular delivery element. In its normal position the hook like arm 29 rests horizontally with the uppermost part of its arch on a line with the base of the trough 21 and in a position extending beyond the fulcrum edge 33 of that trough by a distance slightly greater than the diameter of a cigarette. When the hook like arm is released by the cam 28 the uppermost part of its arch rests against the upper portion of the box like base 10 and directly above its own normal position.

One end of the semicircular delivery element is provided with an integral finger grip 34 projecting upwardly through an aperture 35 provided for that purpose in the upper portion of the box like base 10. Above the normal position of the trough 21 within the semicircular delivery element 18 is an aperture 36 in the upper surface of the box like base 10 to permit erection of cigarettes out of that trough by the hook like arm 29.

In operation, the cigarettes are placed within the removable cover 15 resting parallel to the axis of the semicircular delivery element. The lowest layer of cigarettes rests either on the upper position 11 of the box like base or on the conveyor strings 23. The lowermost cigarette also rests against the rearward arcuate surface of the delivery element 18, the same being positioned there by gravity. By moving the finger grip ,34 rearwardly the semicircular delivery element 18 is rotated rearwardly and the conveyor strings are drawn toward said delivery element by virtue .of their attachment to the flange 22. The spring 25 provides tension opposing the rearward rotation of the delivery element through its attachment to the forwardly drawn conveyor strings 23. The forward motion of the conveyor strings 23 agitates and movesthe cigarettes resting thereon toward the front of the box like base 10 and aligns the lowermost cigarette for ejection into the trough 21 within the delivery element 18; the same motion with the assistance of gravity subsequently places the lowermost cigarette into the trough 21 when said trough is positioned opposite the space between the lower edge of the forward wall 17 of the removable cover and the downward projecting lip 14 of the upper portion 11 of the box like base 10. Rearward rotation of the delivery element 18 raises the cam 28 attached to the forward side thereof and releases the hook like arm 29 which is raised by the tension of the spring 31. 1

Upon release of the finger grip, tension of the spring 25, operating through the conveyor strings 23, returns the delivery element to its normal position. A cigarette is carried in the trough 21 with a portion of said cigarette projecting beyond the fulcrum edge 33 of the trough 21 to a position under the arch of the hook like arm 29. At this point in the forward rotation of the delivery element 18 the cam attached to its forward side engages the arm 29 and depresses the same. During downward motion of the arm 29 the arch thereof is lowered over the projecting end of the cigarette and in depressing the projecting end of the cigarette erects the sameusing the fulcrum edge-33 of the trough 21 as a pivotal fulcrum. The forward rotation of the delivery element is confined by the flange 22 which engages the downward projecting lip 14 of the upper portion 11 of the box like base 10 in its normal position. The erected cigarette is held in a vertical position by its confinement between the arch of the hook like arm 29, the fulcrum edge of the trough 33 and the adjacent edges of the aperture 36 within the upper portion of the box like base 10.

The invention is not limited to the construction herein shown and described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A cigarette dispenser comprising a box-like container having an inclined cigarette supporting surface, a horizontal aperture in the wall of said container at the lower end of said inclined cigarette supporting surface, said aperture being of suflicient length to permit the passage of a cigarette to be dispensed sidewise therethrough, a delivery element having a cylindrical surface adjacent and parallel with said aperture, said delivery element being rotatably supported by said box-like container, a cigarette receiving trough longitudinally disposed in said cylindrical surface, said trough vbeing provided with an opening in the bottom at one end thereof, the actuated posi tion of said delivery element being such that the trough is parallel and adjacent the horizontal aperture with refer ence to said cigarette supporting surface, the surface of said element being positioned to normally obstruct said aperture, said opening being of a size to receive the end of a cigarette therein, an arm including a hook on one end thereof, said arm being pivotally connected with said container and at the end of the arm opposite said hook, said arm being generally positioned parallel with the axis of said delivery element, the axis of said pivot being perpendicular to the axis of said delivery element, said hook adapted to be arranged upwardly and inwardly over the opening in said trough and around the corresponding end of the horizontal aperture when the delivery element is in its said actuated position, a cam mounted on and projecting from said delivery element, said cam being located on the delivery element at a position to contact and actuate said pivoted arm, a spring connected with said box-like container and said arm, said spring being positioned to maintain said arm in contact with said cam and urge the heck of said arm above said horizontal aperture, and a tension spring connected with said box-like container and said delivery element out.- wardly of the axis of the latter, said tension spring being positioned to urge said delivery element in a direction to assume its said normal position.

Bruington Apr. 12, 1921 Iwanicki Dec. 18, 1928 

